Riegel School

Three Buildings Preceded Present School

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the eighth in a series of stories relating to the historical background of Bay City schools, which are published each Saturday in The Times. This week’s subject is the Riegel school. The history of the Washington school will be presented Nov. 9.)

For about 60 years Riegel school activities have been inextricably interwoven into the life of Salzburg, although the present school building has been in use only since 1907. At that time the original Riegel structure was sold to St. Hedwig’s parish, and it is still used today, with additions, as church and school.

It is a controversial question as to just when the first building was erected, but 1880 seems to be the most probable date. However, construction began after the burning of a one-room school building on the southeast corner of Euclid and Salzburg avenues. The new building was name after Michael Riegel, public-spirited citizen and a leader in West Bay City activities. He was president of the board of education for 29 years, and served in West Bay City, then later, after the consolidation of the cities, when the area was known as Greater Bay City.

School in 1868

The firstRiegel school had four rooms and Frank Thompson was its principal, coming from the one-room building. However, the burned school wasn’t the first in the area as there was formerly a school taught by Mrs. Clara Stark Trombley. This was back in 1868 and classes were held in a building erected for a fish house, and located on the banks of the Saginaw river. It was purchased for 10 dollars, and furniture for use of the students was constructed in the saw mill, located on the Middlegrounds, of Mrs. Trombley’s father, H. M. Stark. At that time the Twenty-third street bridge was still in the toll state, and the forest was virgin. Students came to classes along woodland trails.

After the present Riegel school was built a dedication program was held Monday, Sept. 10, 1907, with Riegel the principal speaker. A kindergarten was started in the new building after a good deal of campaigning for its origination. Miss Ella Stillman was the teacher. Other faculty members of that time were Robert Kennedy, principal, who came from the first building, Miss Maud E. Gilbert, Miss Mary Gaffney, Miss Alma Gaertner, Miss Nina Shannon, Miss Mable Weir, and Miss Alice C. Houghton. Many of these teachers are still employed in the school system here, and some of them later were given principalship posts.

Normal Begun in 1923

The Bay County Normal school which is an integral part of the school today was established in 1923 by action of the Bay City board of education and the county board of supervisors. Miss Carolyn K. White, present principal, has been with the normal since its beginning there. The first county normal board consisted of Webster Pierce, state superintendent of public instruction; G. L. Jenner, Superintendent of public schools; and J. B. Laing, county school commissioner. The board now is Dr. Eugene B. Elliott, state superintendent of public instruction; Benjamin Klager, current superintendent; and Earl S. Goodman, county commissioner of schools.

The normal was started with a class of 17, with Miss Agnes True, the first principal. She now is affiliated with a teacher’s college in Lubbock, Tex. Miss White was a critic teacher. Under the original plan the school provided for a one-year course for rural school teaching. Now two years is demanded and the normal is consolidated with Bay City Junior college, and corresponding credit is granted at state teacher’s colleges. It also is affiliated with Central State Teachers college, Mt. Pleasant.

In a recent survey of Bay City schools the Riegel was rated “good” on four points in instructional efficiency, placing it among the best in the city’s school system. Out of the 21 items twelve points were given the building as “fair” in location, playgrounds, landscape, architecture, construction, expansion, height, basement, efficiency for administration, classrooms, water supply, artificial lighting and safety.

Salzburg School

List Roll of One-Room School Built in 1874

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Charles R. Laderach, 1602 South Wenona avenue, is the proud possessor of the original roll call sheet of the one-room school building know as the Salzburg school, used before the building of the first Riegel school. The structure was located on the southeast corner of Euclid and Salzburg avenues, and was burned, necessitating the erection of the first Riegel school.

The first term of the little school began Sept. 9, 1874, and the school’s district was No. 3, in the township of Bangor. Miss Rebecca Kent was the teacher.

Seventy-three students were listed on the roll, with Laderach being one of them. He was 11 yars old at the time. Following is the list of names of the student and their ages. Some of the members are still living and are residents of Bay City. They are: